This is a reconstruction of the unreleased 1980 debut album
from The Misfits, 12 Hits From Hell, which was scrapped after guitarist Bobby
Steele was replaced by Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein.Some of the songs were instead released as 7”
singles and the remaining tracks were used as a demo to secure a record deal
and eventually re-recorded in 1982 as their seminal Walk Among Us.Although 12 Hits From Hell was given a modern
remix and remaster for a posthumous release in 2001, it was again vetoed and
scrapped by vocalist Glenn Danzig and bassist Jerry Only because of errors in mastering,
artwork and liner note credit.This
reconstruction ignores the posthumous 2001 remix and attempts to collect only authentic
mixes to assemble how the album would have sounded in 1980.

Emerging as one of the first wave of hardcore punk acts in
1977 New Jersey, it took a few years and scrapped projects for The Misfits to
find their sound.Harnessing the new-found aggression of hardcore punk, the quartet recorded what was intended as
their debut album, Static Age, in 1978.Following
a change in band lineup, image and lyrical subjects—embracing the themes and
aesthetic of classic horror movies—the album was scrapped and The Misfits
instead focused on touring and single releases.By 1980, the lineup had solidified with
guitarist Bobby Steel and drummer Arthur Googy, backing up Danzig and
Only.

Entering Master Sound Productions Studios on August 7th,
1980, the quartet recorded twelve songs meant to function as their debut
album.All the tracks were initially cut
live in one take, except “London Dungeon”, which required two takes.Unknown to Steele, Only had been grooming his
little brother Doyle to replace Steele as guitarist, and Doyle was brought in
for his own set of guitar overdubs.The
effect is unique in The Misfits body of work, as the album—provisionally titled
12 Hits From Hell—is the only release with two different guitarists.The recordings were equal parts energetic and
atmospheric and were never replicated later in their career.The Caiafa Brothers (Jerry and Doyle) would
have their way by October and Steele was ousted from the band, relegating the recordings
to function as a demo tape to shop the band to prospective labels.

Luckily the recordings were not left in the vault for long,
as “London Dungeon”, “Horror Hotel” and “Ghouls Night Out” were all released on
the abbreviated EP 3 Hits From Hell in April 1981, and “Halloween” and “Halloween
II” were released as a 7” on Halloween 1981.The session also did its job as a demo, securing the band a contract
with Ruby Records that year and producing their ‘proper’ debut album Walk Among
Us in 1982, which featured re-recorded versions of six of the remaining
unreleased 12 Hits From Hell songs.While
The Misfits eventually disbanded in 1983, Danzig took the liberty to overdub
and remix a number of unreleased tracks for the 1985 compilation Legacy of
Brutality, which featured doctored mixes of “Where Eagles Dare” and “Halloween”
as well as pillaged versions of some of the Static Age songs.The original 1980 mixes of “Astro Zombies” “Night
of the Living Dead”, “Skulls” and “Vampira” were released the following year on
a self-titled compilation that was eventually known as Collection I, with “Halloween”,
“Horror Hotel” and “Halloween II” released on the follow-up compilation
Collection II in 1995.Finally, all the aforementioned
tracks as well as the original unreleased 1980 mixes of “I Turned Into a
Martian”, “Violent World” and “Where Eagles Dare” were released on The Misfits Box Set in 1996.

Interestingly enough, the scattered tracks found on the box set was not the last word on
12 Hits From Hell.After the unreleased Static
Age album had been successfully issued as a proper posthumous release in 1997,
12 Hits From Hell warranted the same treatment and was remixed from the mastertapes in 2001 for a tentative
Halloween release on Caroline Records.All
twelve songs—as well as the alternate first take of “London Dungeon” as a bonus
track—received a more spacious and wide-stereo mix, a very modern-sounding mix
that was a sharp contrast to the tight and claustrophobic 1980 mixes.After a number of promotional copies had been
distributed to industry insiders, the album was cancelled, promo copies
recalled and subsequently destroyed.Why?Both Danzig and Only—the two who retained the
rights to the Misfits brand—claimed not only a “mastering error” but incorrect
credits in the liner notes, as well as subpar packaging and cover design that didn't meet their standard.On the other hand, former guitarist Bobby
Steele had an opposing point of view: that the newly-remixed album was scrapped because
of Danzig & Only’s egos, who wanted to erase his guitar parts that were
featured prominently in the new mixes.In
a possible retaliation and absurd twist, Steele recorded his own version of the
entire album with The Undead in 2007.But putting
aside petty squabbles, what did 12 Hits From Hell originally sound like?

For my reconstruction, we will focus solely on the original
1980 mixes of 12 Hits From Hell, for better or for worse; while admittedly the
2001 remix sounds stunning, it is not what The Misfits sounded like in
1980.Luckily all the (presumably)
vintage mixes are found on the 1996 Box Set in their best mastering,
making our task extremely easy!The
tracklist will follow the planned 2001 12 Hits remaster, as the CD itself
followed Danzig’s own handwritten tracklist from 1980, written on MSP Studios
stationary.The
final touch is a cover design that borrows from the 3 Hits From Hell EP, an art
concept that is as vintage as possible (also included is alternate cover art
designed by Jon Hunt of idesignalbumcovers).So without further delay, put on your make-up… it’s time for an early
Halloween!